Green Eyed Monster | Draco Malfoy

92. High Tide

Chapter 92 - High Tide

"And you said you were the only psychic in this household," a sarcastic voice called over the wind. I didn't need to look around to recognize the voice - Fred's lower voice was how I truly identified the twins. Well, that and his staring. Still, it was hard to hear his lower register over the cool breeze and the tumbling waves in front of me. "I knew you'd be out here...though I'll admit I didn't expect to see you so close to the water."

Fred was right: I couldn't remember the last time I'd willingly come so close to where the waves crawled up the sand. Each pulse of water ebbed closer to my feet and I watched each beat of the ocean's heart wearily; I wanted to be no closer to them than I already was and yet I was dwelling in the fear that rose in my chest each time the tide lapped to try and drown my frozen toes. It was November, I was freezing, but I refused to go inside to grab my shoes. Not while he was in there.

"Here," Fred took off his cloak and draped it over my shoulders. He shook out his moppy head of hair, trying to hide his ears behind it to keep them warm. I was relieved to see that he had a sweater on beneath where his cloak had been; at least he wouldn't freeze to spite himself or to impress me. "You can come inside. He's getting an ear-load from Bill and Fleur; you might enjoy yourself."

"I'll hex him again," I promised. "Or worse."

"Then you should definitely go inside," he urged with a crooked smile. I looked over to him, smiling in spite of myself, before I noticed the book he held under his arm.

"What's that?"

He didn't even glance to where I was pointing. "A book."

"Oh good," I rolled my eyes. "I was worried you'd forgotten how to read."

"I read all your broadcast notes, thank you very much!" He scoffed, giving me a look of mock-disappointment. "Always so negative, Drea."

I rolled my eyes, looking back toward the ocean, but being unable to stop myself from trying to listen to the dull and angry voices arguing feet away from me in the house. I could barely hear them, but the strain was worth it. Yes, scream at him. Scream at Ron and make him leave. Again.

"Why aren't you angry?" I muttered, taking a small rock that had been dug a few inches into the sand and whipping it as far into the sea as I could. "You should be angry."

"Why do I have to be angry with you here?" He asked, nudging me with his elbow. "You're angry enough for the lot of us."

"You bloody Gryffindors are never angry enough," I mumbled, not playing along with his game. I was not in the mood for a game. "I don't care what his excuses and reasons are: he shouldn't be here. He's ruining our entire distraction-based plan by not being with Harry and Hermione right now and he-"

"He has a pretty ridiculous story to go with it," he followed my gaze over toward the horizon. "Though I'll admit - I'd never expected him to be such a bloody pansy."

"He was a pansy?" I asked, looking over at him. There was a brief moment where I saw frustration - could it possibly have been anger? - flit over Fred's features. It was such a rare thing to see of him; Fred was always so cool and collected, everything was always such a joke. To see him angry...well, it almost made me feel bad. That anger, somehow, boiled down to me; I was the only one in the bloody house who felt the emotion, after all. Maybe if I had been a little more reasonable, maybe if I wasn't constantly boiling over the brim with my fury, he wouldn't have been polluted with my infectious negativity.

"Let's just say he wasn't asked to leave," Fred muttered, his voice low. My eyebrows raised, still shocked that he was perturbed by anything - it was one of the things I had always admired about him, that nothing got him down. I tended to have this effect on everyone, however, so it was only a matter of time.